franchise-star-trek-tng-technical-manual1

17.3 MISSION BACKGROUND17.3 MISSION BACKGROUNDThe role of the multimission starship in Starfleet's vehiclemix has undergone significant changes in recent years.Dramatic expansion of Federation territory and in the numberof member cultures has led to increases in the demands onStarfleet operations within the Federation, as well as beyondthe frontier. Further, recent experiences with the Romulans,the Cardassians, and the Borg as well as disturbing reports ofunrest within the Klingon Empire illustrate the importance ofmaintaining a significant defensive capability.As required research and patrol ranges increase annually,the number of spacecraft required increases dramatically.Accordingly, Starfleet vessel construction policies areincreasingly based on the theory that it is more efficient tohave a larger number of small, mission-specific starships,than to have a smaller number of large, multimission vehicles.This need for multimission vessels is made greater byStarfleet's continuing emphasis on deep-space exploration.Stellar survey operations beyond the Epsilon Quinonez sectoralone are expected to utilize 22% of Starfleet's exploratorycapacity over the next decade. And this estimate does notinclude follow-up planetary survey and cultural contact operations.There are those who have argued for reductions inStarfleet exploratory operations; those who have argued toredeploy our fleet resources for domestic and civil missions.Yet the fruits of Starfleet's exploration and life-contact directivesare a continuing source of vitality for the Federation itself.Domestic operations will continue to be a key part of ourmission mix, but it is clear that we must continue to pursueStarfleet's primary objective: To explore new worlds, to seekout new life, and new civilizations, and to boldly go where noone has gone before.The multimission capability of the Galaxy class starshipand its predecessors has, however, been shown to be anessential part of the vehicle mix. When operating beyondnormal Starfleet patrol range, the capacity for autonomousexecution of full-policy options is essential, though expensive.Accordingly, the Enterprise is equipped for nearly the entirespectrum of Starfleet missions.UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETSSTARFLEET COMMAND